Tag
by buffymorpher2000
Summary: when heroes make mistakes they can be deadly....
1. Chapter 1

Its like 5am and i had the urge to write something so i thought why not write my first fuffy fic which is also my first buffy fic...so sorry if it sucks but remember first time and 5am...so it R for violence and naughty stuff in the future...no fuffy right now but there will be in the future...oh and let me know if it REALLY sucks so i know not to attempt a future…oh and the characters don't belong to me

Tag

Most nights it's quiet. The cemeteries in Rome never seem to get as much action as the ones in Sunnydale. Of course that's probably what the scoobies love the most about this new town. Quiet cemeteries makes for easy nights and easy nights are needed when you spend your day training a bunch of slayers who couldn't find the pointy side of a stake even if they had a map. However, no matter how stressful the days may be the nights are for the three warriors, Buffy, Faith, and Kennedy, to patrol and slay as destiny has chosen them to do.

Usually the fighting force finds themselves strolling from one cemetery to the next with barely any action. Sometimes they make small talk but most of the time they all become lost in their own world, their own thoughts. Kennedy on occasion wonders if she'll ever get the chance to truly prove herself to her companions/mentors, but most of the time her mind finds peace in the thoughts of her witch that waits for her at home. Faith's mind usually travels from one subject to the next, slaying and food tends to be at the top of the list, except on nights like this when her mind is actually focused on a subject and that focus is circled around the leader of the pack, Buffy.

_She smells like vanilla._

While Buffy's companions set their minds on the women that consume them, Buffy's mind is also focused on a woman. She's Buffy's little secret. Desire a.k.a Shadow is the council's biggest problem but also their best kept secret. The heads of the council, Buffy, Willow and Giles, are the only ones who know of her existence as well as her supposed death. She was a mission gone bad, Buffy and Willow were suppose to find her and welcome her to the slayer family, but what they find was a girl so past the line of right and wrong she made Faith look like Harmony, they had to make a decision there and then.

"Buffy, Faith" Kennedy whispered "Do you guys feel that." As the three warriors shook their minds clean a cold chill traveled over their bodies.

"It's not a vamp, not a slayer or human" Faith said while looking ahead of her at Buffy's shaking figure. "B what's wrong, do you know what it is?"

Buffy continued to shake but she failed to answer. She just stared straight ahead and when Faith and Kennedy followed her gaze they saw a young girl standing off in the distance. "Buffy?" Kennedy whispered seeing if the elder slayer would turn to her and Faith, but instead Buffy fell backwards, with an arrow in her stomach and blood everywhere. Quickly the two slayers jumped into action to carry their leader to safety, no longer being able to locate the girl in the distance, the girl with the crossbow they never saw.

But she's there. She's watching. Watching Buffy bleed, watching with a sick smirk on her face and a crossbow in her hand. She knows Buffy will make it, she placed her shot that way, she just wanted to say…"Tag your it"


	2. secrets

Secrets

"_Buffy, Willow, I have an assignment for you"_

Easy, that's what he said it was going to be. That's all she's been repeating to herself for the past two months, but the memories never got any easier for her. Every minute of that mission was like watching a slow motion movie of your life about to go to hell. Now as she lies in the backseat of her new car, watching the blood spill over the new leather, she almost wishes for the easy way out. The simple scenario of death seems much easier then the possibility of facing what she has done.

"B, Buffy" Faith whispers "Its gonna be alright. We're almost home, Kennedy already called the house, and the healers are ready and waiting for our arrival. Okay? Just hang in there."

When Faith finishes talking she turns back around in her seat, she can't have Buffy see her cry. Faith almost jumps when she feels a pat on her hand and she is even more surprised to see that affection coming from Kennedy. However, Faith understands the sadness in Kennedy's eyes. Even if they weren't that close, Buffy is their leader, she's supposed to be indestructible. Yet, Buffy feels anything but indestructible.

Buffy watches as the blood stops spilling out of her wound and she becomes sad at the thought of not being able to pass out to avoid the unavoidable conversation that needs to happen. However, it is the display in the front seats that truly break her heart. These people need her and trust in her and she has betrayed them all behind their backs. She knows once the upheaval of her almost fatal wound fades, they'll want answers.

With the lack of motion of the car Buffy knows they have reached their destination. When Buffy's door opens and she is lifted from the car she still holds the arrow, now dislodged from her stomach, in her hand. "Buffy, Buffy are you okay?" Buffy looks up to see the concurred face of Dawn, "Hey, Dawnie I'm fine. I'll be up and running in no time." Buffy gave Dawn a smile with those words of encouragement and while she didn't believe her sister for a second, she did calm down a little bit.

As Buffy headed off to the infirmary where the healers were waiting an emergency gathering of the scoobies was held in the library to trying and figure out what had happened. "So then Buffy just stops walking and I was like guys do you feel that and Faith and I were just waiting for Buffy to say something but she was just staring straight ahead, she wouldn't look back at us."

"Did you happen to she what she was looking at?" Giles asked

Faith began to pace as she picked up where Kennedy had stopped, "At first we didn't see anything, and then B just started to shake really badly, so we looked in the direction she was looking in, thinking we were going to see some big monster, but instead it sort of looked like some girl was.." "A girl? Willow interrupted "What did she look like, was it a slayer, or a vampire, or maybe the first.." "Red!" Faith said stopping willow from babbling "We didn't get a good look at her and she didn't feel like no slayer or anything I've ever been around. Plus, once B feel and we saw the arrow we sort of took off ."

When Faith said the word arrow Willow stopped pacing which caused Faith to stop and stare. "An arrow, that's what happened?" At the urgency in willows voice Kennedy stood up and took hold of her girlfriends hands "Yeah, baby, that's what happened, I guess with everything going on I fail to mention that on the phone. Does matter though?" Willow quickly looked away from Kennedy's eyes "No of course it doesn't matter, but what did you do with the arrow?"

Faith turned toward the couple and replacing the look of pain in her eyes with suspicion she answered "We managed to get it out of her but she hasn't let go of it yet. She's probably still holding on to it, you know B loves her mementos." With a glance toward Giles, Willow lets go of her girlfriend's hands and walks toward the doors of the library says "Giles I think we should go check in with the healers and see if they need any help." "Yes I think we could be most useful."

When the door clicks shut Kennedy and Faith share their own glance and go to the door. Opening it they find an out of breathe Xander and the retreating backsides of Willow and Giles "Guys what's going on!" Xander asks urgently, but the two slayers aren't focused on him but on the little bit of sentence they got from the others "…she's declared war…"

"Kenndy! Faith! What the HELL is going on!" Xander asked furiously, when the two slayers looked back up they were thinking the same thing.


	3. Q&A

Just want to say thanks to those who reviewed I appreciate it very much and your reviews are what makes me want to keep going…hopefully you enjoy this chap as well

Questions and Answers

"_You know Desiree I have to say I'm impressed." Buffy said as they walked through the cemetery, "You've got things pretty much under control" "Thanks Buffy, it took me a while but once I fully became a slayer it was easy to create my own routine that's been working for me." "I have a question though," Willow asked "what's with the arrows and the crossbow?" "Well, Willow, since I'm doing this on my own, when I go against a group of vamps I like to take one or two out with the crossbow first. It throws them off their game for a second and makes it easier to me to pick each one off." Desiree got a far off look in her eyes "It lets them know I'm coming and you're dead"_

"So she was attacked by some mystery girl?" Xander asked, "I don't think she was human" Kennedy began to answer "I never felt anything like her. What do you think Faith." When Kennedy and Xander looked over at the silent girl they found her staring at a picture of her and Buffy from last Christmas. "I don't know. I feel like we're missing something." Faith replied looking over at Kennedy and Xander "Fuck, I just, I just want to see B right now. I don't know what's going on but I should go check on her. Right?" The confused yet concerned tone in Faith's voice made both Kennedy and Xander smirk.

"Yeah come on, I'm sure Buffy's wondering what's keeping her girlfriend from being at her side, and waiting on her hand and foot." Xander said while the other two laughed. As the trio made their way to the infirmary Faith slowed down falling behind the other two. When Kennedy looked back she saw a pained look on Faith's face. "Hey, Faith, are you okay? You know Buffy's wound isn't that bad. She'll be okay." As Faith looked up into Kennedy's eyes her features never softened "Kennedy it's not Buffy's wound that I'm worried about. She's hiding something, they all are. I felt it for months now, I just never said anything. What B and I have is so new, so breakable."

The sad tone in Faith's voice made Kennedy stop walking and grab Faith's shoulder so she could hold her gaze as she told her "Faith you gotta have some, well faith. It maybe new but you guys belong together. Anyone with two eyes and a heart and see it. You two are the real thing, just try and believe in it." "Hey! Slay sisters! Are you coming or not?" Xander asked while tapping his foot and giving them his best false anger glare.

Two wings away from the trio in a large yet empty infirmary sit the heads of the new council. Not one of these figures has a smile upon their face, even though they are relieved that Buffy's nasty wound has healed. They are in the midst of a temper filled discussion on what to do with their newest problem. "We have to tell them." Buffy repeated for the fifth time "Its only far they know that they're getting themselves into." "No." Giles said as well for the fifth time "The circumstances of what happened do not concern the others. They just need to know that you were attacked Buffy, that will give them reason enough to fight." "Giles," Willow said softly "I think Buffy is right. They deserve to know."

With the two of them against him, Giles fell quiet for a moment. The tired expression on is face was only hardened with the look of determination. "Girls, I know you want to tell the others but you forget why we kept this a secret in the first place. Sometimes decision, hard, horrible decision need to be made and we're the ones that have to make them. When we made this council we decided that we were going to be the ones that wouldn't be able to sleep at night cause its all on our shoulders. While what we did was a horrible thing, it had to be done. The other may not see it that way and to make this new council work we need the trust of every person here. So we have to make this decision and keep the secrets and deal with the burden. These choices don't make us heroes they make us leaders."

"But you didn't have to do it; you're not the one she is after." Buffy said looking into Giles eyes "Giles as pretty of a speech as that was I know you're just trying to protect me and Will. We were the ones that decided she needed to be taken out and when we came home we were too ashamed to tell anyone and you knew they're gonna be mad so you let us keep this as a council secret." "Giles," Willow started to say "They have to know. We can't make them fight our battle."

"What battle?" As the three council heads looked to the door, fear fell upon their faces as they saw Faith, Kennedy, and Xander staring back at them with confusion and anger.


	4. the explanation

Thanks for the reviews guys it keeps me going…sorry for the lateness but I been abit busy…thanks to my beta alex

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The Explanation

_"Willow, are you sure this is her address?" Buffy asked as she stared at the abandoned looking building. _

"_This is what the coven and I got when we were doing our slayer search. Buff it looks like no ones around why don't we just go? Our plane leaves in two hours, I'd hate to miss it." Willow replied_

_"Will, I got a girl waiting for me at home too, but we shouldn't leave without saying good-bye. I know Desiree has got this place handled, but I just want to give her our info incase something happens. Come on we'll just take a look inside to see if there's a trace of her, leave our info, and be off to the airport to wait forever for our plane, which will probably be late anyway. Plus I'm getting a weird vibe from this place."_

_As the two companions entered the building they sensed a presence unfelt by either before. As they walked down a dark and angry looking hallway, a dreadful smell hit them like a slap in the face, and although this smell was not normal to them it seemed as foreboding as the cracked wooden walls and dirt covered floor. _

_"God Willow, how can someone live like this?" _

"_I don't think I ever want to know Buffy." _

_When the two reached the end of the bleak hallway they stood in front of a door. Once they opened the door they saw stairs, which led to the basement. _

"_Damn Buffy, what the hell is that smell?" _

_When the two descended the stairs their first urge was to throw up. Lain before them were rotting bodies. Set in the middle of those bodies was a man tied to a chair. _

"_Dear God, I've never seen... I think I'm going to be sick." As Willow bent over Buffy rubbed her back and stared at the man in the middle of all the horror. _

"_Willow just stay here I'm going to see if that guys still alive."_

_As Buffy approached the man she noticed that his hands were tied behind the chair and his body hunched all the way over. His body lay still upon his knees. Buffy lifted the man's upper body and it fell limp against the back of the chair. She found herself unable to stop her body from heaving this morning's breakfast. The man's body was cut in half. His stomach had been gutted and all his internal organs were spilled about. His neck was slit and his Adam's apple looked as though it was ripped out. As for his lower body, pants were around his ankle and it looked as though someone had castrated him, imbedding his legs with the name Desiree over and over again. After seeing Desiree's name carved in his legs Buffy started to back peddle away. She was horrified, disturbed._

_"Who is down here?" The sudden voice of the girl they were originally looking caused the two sickened women to cast their eyes toward the stair case. Once Desiree reached the bottom of the stair she saw who her intruders were and a crazed look appeared in her eyes "No, NO! You were never supposed to come down here. You can't be down here. You can't understand." As her body began to shake with panic, Desiree grabbed a knife from her back pocket and ran at the two girls. Luckily Willow was quick to reached and repelled Desiree, who quickly ran up the stairs._

_"Buffy what are we going to do?" _

"_Willow, go outside and destroy this building. I don't care how you do it, just bring it to the ground." _

"_But, Buffy, what about Desiree? I can still sense her in the building." _

"_I know so can I. Leave her to me. Don't worry I'll be out before you destroy this place from hell." _

"_And Desiree?" _

"_She did this Will. Then she came after us. We gave her the power to do this and I have to stop her."_

_Willow went outside to begin her spell to demolish this haven of evil. Buffy ran upstairs to face the girl she was once willing to call a sister slayer. When she opened the door to the room Desiree was unrecognizable, a shadow of her former self. Desiree sat in a corner rocking back and forth, whispering manically. Once she noticed Buffy's presence in the room she jumped to her feet and held a tighter grasp on the knife she was carrying. _

"_Desiree, now listen to me, you can come with me and we'll get you some help from the new council or you're not leaving this room alive" Desiree began to pace in a predatory manner like she was just waiting for Buffy to move a little closer before she'd pounce._

_"No, you can't have my power. It's my power, my town; you can't take it from me. I won't let you!" _

_Once the scream left her mouth, Desiree leaped at Buffy swinging her knife, but Buffy was quick, getting out of harms way. Buffy's experience gave her the ability to get the knife from the new, untrained slayer. As she dodged Desiree's punches Buffy inadvertently slid Desiree's own knife right into her stomach._

_A look of horror and shock appeared on Buffy's face, staring at the blood on her hands. A sadness could be seen in her eyes as she looked down upon, the now helpless, Desiree, still trying to get up. The loss of blood kept making her fall to the ground. When the building started to shake Buffy reached for Desiree, but the girl stubbornly pulled the knife from her gut and swung at Buffy, yet again. Still conflicted, Buffy had no choice, but to turn and walk away._

As Buffy tried to block out the memory of that night she looked upon the confused and angry faces of the three new people that entered the meeting of the new council leaders. She knew what she was about to do was going to be hard, but it had to be done.

"Guys, we need to talk."


	5. unreolved issues

Unresolved Issues

"I got out of the building just in time." Buffy finished the story leaving the room silent. The Scoobies were trapped deep in thought at what was just revealed.

"Why'd she do it?" The hush was broken and all of the occupants of the room looked to Faith, who asked the question, now looking toward Willow for her answer. The brunette had refused to look at Buffy since her story began.

"Um, we don't really know." Willow mumbled as she looked between the two eldest slayers. "She wasn't very talkative while she was attacking us."

"You said she seemed scared. When did being scared lead to a death sentence?" Faith spat out.

"It wasn't like that." Willow tried to remain calm when answering, for the room was tense enough.

"Oh I** know** how it is," Argued Faith, while getting up out of her chair in an aggressive manner. "I know how she can be when she has no control." The ex rogue pointed to her counterpart.

With the indication of their past thrown out there Buffy quickly sat up, ignoring the pain from her wound, and ripped out the IVs in her arm. In slow, but angry movements Buffy got out of the bed she was laying in and began to move toward Faith.

"Don't," Buffy started as she got in Faith's face, "Don't you dare try and make this about us. This wasn't some controlled situation that turned bad; this was about a girl whose basement was littered with dead bodies. Then she attacked us, and I tried to help her, but in the end I did what I had to do. We shouldn't have hid this from you guys, but I refuse to apologize for defending myself."

"Well here she is, Saint Buffy." Faith mocked as she got within inches of the blonde, continuing to shoot her mouth off. "You know I bet you tried to help her. Lemme guess, it was your way or no way at all. I know better than anyone where your helping puts people, comas or the grave." Faith was livid and started to walk to the door trying not to let her anger get anymore control.

"Fuck you." Buffy growled bringing Faith to a dead halt. "For the last time this isn't about us. If you have a problem with me, if you have some issues that you haven't gotten over yet then you should have said something, but leave that out of this. I didn't go looking for a fight I got thrown into one and I made the best decision I could. I offered her all the help I could before she turned her back on me." Faith turned away from the door and sauntered right back up to Buffy, smiling wickedly.

"Poor Buffy," she said as she leaned close to Buffy's face, about a breath away, continuing her assault, "Always the victim." A flash of anger went through the chosen one's eyes and the next thing everyone heard was the sharp snap of Buffy's fist smacking Faith to the floor. Quickly Willow grabbed Buffy and Kennedy restrained Faith. Giles instantly got in the middle of the two slayers.

"I think it would be best if we ended this meeting for tonight. Everyone needs to calm down." With those words said Faith pulled herself out of Kennedy's grasp and headed for the door.

"That's fine with me," Faith muttered, "I got things to do anyway."

"Faith," Buffy said as tears began to appear in her eyes, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go find the answers to my questions, maybe save a life." Faith turned to look at Buffy, a mix of sadness and disgust in her eyes, "Cause I always thought that's what we were supposed to do. Save people, not give up on them."

Silence was left in the wake of Faith's exit, wrapping everybody in an uncomfortable stillness. Seconds passed until Kennedy began to follow.

"I'm gonna go after her. Make sure she doesn't do anything she'll regret." As Kennedy's hand reached the handle, Willow couldn't help, but to call out...

"Ken, um, you haven't really said anything." Willow's sentence trailed off into nothingness, the ex potentials eyes locked on the redheads.

"Not now, later." With that Kennedy left and the room went silent once more. Not even Xander spoke a word when he hugged his friends goodbye. Then Giles left, expressionless, leaving Buffy alone, the room wracked with her sobs.

Nothing was said even after Kennedy managed to find Faith. The two girls walked the streets of Rome as if they were on a regular mission and no one better get in their way. In reality Kennedy was just trying to keep up with Faith and Faith was just following her instinct. The closer they got the more aware Kennedy became of what they were doing. Finally, they stooped right in front of a shutdown factory that looked as though it's lasted far beyond its years. The walls were all cracked along with most of the windows, but Faith knew this screamed 'home' for their girl.

"Found you," Faith said to herself softly, as soon as the weird vibe from the cemetery touched her body. Kennedy looked cautious as they entered the building, but Faith kept right on the trail like a bloodhound, going the direction of each tingle, her slayer senses washing over her like a homing device. Kennedy grabbed Faith's hand when they entered the room they believed the girl to be in. They could feel her all around them, though they walked in the direction of a faint voice.

"I'm sorry; I'm sorry, sorry, so sorry." The whispered apologizes grew louder and louder as the two got closer. Once they reached the darkest corner of the room they found a young girl, covered in dirt and torn clothing, rocking herself back and forth, begging someone, anyone for forgiveness.

"Desiree?" Faith asked gently while looking at the sad excuse for a slayer. Slowly the head of the broken girl turned and faced them, her eyes opened to look and she started to cry.

"Please don't kill me," She begged. "Please."


	6. horrible truth

**I just wanted to say thank you all for the reviews I know this chap may seem slow but things will speed up quick...**

**Horrible Truths**

The night belonged to the broken. In two cities, miles apart, two girls, two slayers, cried their eyes out for reasons the other would never understand. Both cried for others, both cried for themselves.

"Buffy?" Shortly after the tears had dried on the blond slayers face, the younger Summers had come looking to check up on her injured sister. The instant she set foot in the infirmary she knew something was wrong.

As she stood staring at the sad form of her sister Dawn begins to put the blonde's tears, the brunette's absence, and the red-head's worried face together.

"Buffy are you okay? Did you and Faith have a fight or something? Did she hurt you again?" Old fears began to re-surface the longer Buffy remained silent, however, Willow quickly jumped in to quell the teen.

"Dawn, its okay. They just had a disagreement. Everything is fine." The false peppiness in the witch's voice arose Dawn's insecurities of being outside the Scoobie circle.

"I'm not a kid you know. I have a right to know what's going on with my own sister."

"She's right." Buffy said breaking her own silence. She took a breath and continued warily. "Dawn, I did something…"

Buffy told her the story. The building filled with bodies and the fight that had gone so horribly wrong. However, unlike the reaction of her lover, Dawn moved closer to Buffy the more she spoke and by the end of her story the young brunette held her sister in her arms. Even as tears began to fill the slayers eyes, she went on to tell her sister of her fight with Faith.

"I don't regret it. I know I was right," The young leader shook as she said it, "But I don't think Faith will ever forgive me." Putting her around around the injured slayer, Dawn helped her sister up and back on the bed.

"Buffy, Faith loves you. No matter what I can see the happiness you guys bring out in each other. Right now she is just dealing with her own issues. I mean you fighting a dark haired girl and putting a knife in her stomach, I'm sure that brings back memories." Though the tears on Buffy's face had slowed she was still unable to meet the eyes of the others in the room.

"Dawn you didn't see it. The way she looked at me, there was so much disgust in her eyes. Faith looked at me like I was nothing."

"You disappointed her." Dawn said rubbing the blondes back. "She put you on this pedestal and couldn't deal with you doing something she would do. She has blood on her hands, probably never thought you'd have any on yours."

The seconds seemed to go by like hours as the two brunettes looked upon the mess that was Desiree. With the precision of the arrow shot and the description in Buffy's story, neither girls expected to find the deadly slayer to be a sobbing jumble of dirt and despair.

"Please don't kill me" Is all that she begged of them. Her only movements have been rocking slowly to her insanity.

"Desiree?" Faith asked reassuringly trying not to scare the girl, but slow and steady she kept on rocking as though the other two didn't exist; as if they were complete figments of her imagination. "Desiree, can you hear me?"

"It's not my fault." Desiree whispered so quietly even the two slayers had to strain to hear it with their heightened sense. "It's not my fault."

"Desiree what's not your fault. What happened? Help me understand, let me help you."

"Understand? Help? I saw the way she looked at me, I see you too. You know what I did, but he made me do it." She said as she looked up at Kennedy and Faith accusingly.

"What did you do?" Kennedy asked with the same patience.

"I killed him."

"The man in the chair? What about the other bodies?" Faith asked calmly, but she was quickly put on edge when Desiree jumped to her feet.

"No, you're just like she was. She didn't see, you don't see. He did it. He always did."

"Who?" Kennedy asked.

"Daddy." Desiree said with a smirk. "Daddy did bad things. Him and his friends hurt people for his Gods. He used to make me watch, everywhere he went I went, he called me his little shadow." As she said that, Desiree pulled her shirt down a bit to show where she was branded on her left breast with the name shadow. "I wouldn't have done it except, a few months ago I suddenly got strong and fast and Daddy said that I was unclean. He spit on me and tried to hurt me, but I stopped him. I had the power now and no one was going to take it away."

"Desiree," Kennedy spoke "if that's how it went down then why did you attack Buffy?" Desiree looked at both slayers long and hard. As tears began to gather in her eyes. She fell to her knees.

"I didn't want to hurt her, but when she looked at me she had his eyes. The disgusted way she stared and the way she spoke made me look at her like I saw him. I could just see him and I thought he was back and wanted to take what was mine. The next thing I know is I'm bleeding crawling to my safe room as the building falls around me. It took me months to heal, but when I did I wanted to talk to her. But as soon as I saw her it all came back. Are you going to kill me now?" She asked with tears in her eyes. Before Faith could speak Kennedy grabbed her arm and dragged her to the other side of the room.

"I know what you're thinking and no." Kennedy said low enough so Desiree couldn't hear.

"What do you mean no?" Faith said back in an angry tone, "This girl needs help. Obviously she is fucked up in the head right now and needs a place to go."

"Buffy is not going to like this."

"**Saint Buffy**," Faith emphasized vindictively, "almost killed this girl." The ex rogue calmed herself and then argued, "When she hears her side of the story Buffy will be cool."

"You know she won't be and frankly I'm not on the trust train as much as you are right now. I know you're mad at Buffy, but bringing her back with us may not be the greatest decision, both safety wise and your relationship stability."

"Buffy will understand," Faith said adamantly. "She has to." She finished with a whisper.

Faith walked back over to the broken girl.

"Desiree get up... you're coming with us. We're going to help you."


	7. confrontation

Hey everyone sorry this took so long but school started up again and it looks like a long semester…however I do plan to finish this it just may take some time…thanks to everyone whos review muah

Confrontation

The room was an ever changing cycle of emotions. Anger, hate, fear, betrayal, loneliness, sympathy, and suspicion were spiraling around the occupants of the household since Desiree had walked through the door with Faith by her side. While many were hesitant to hear the story of the broken girl no one argued when Faith asked them to just listen. As the sad one told her story many of the inhabitants of the room quickly went from looking disgusted at her presence to sicken with themselves. When the story had finished the dynamics of the room began to change.

Xander, once was standing near Willow, just squeezed his best friends shoulder lightly and quickly tossed a glance at the blonde slayer before he walked off, going to his own apartment and leaving this house of chaos. Giles, who previously stood in the middle of the room, had retreated to the side window where he could ponder all the new information they had received. As for the red head and the blonde neither had moved an inch since Desiree began talking, but both held different expressions. The witch had tears in her eyes, feeling the blood on her hands from her own moral ambiguities and even dirtier for the fact her girlfriend had yet to look at her. However, the blonde sat in the same position with the same look of determination on her face and beside her sat her sister, who continuously held Buffy's hand during the gruesome tale.

No one dared to speak at first. Some were lost in thought and others were just waiting. When the tension started to become almost unbearable, Faith stepped in the middle of the room.

"I invited Desiree to stay with us. Permanently."

The first reaction came from the blonde slayer, who, if not held back by her sister, would have jumped out of her seat to get face to face with her other half.

"You can't do that." Buffy spoke

"I just did," Faith replied "Desiree is as sorry for what happened as you are, if not more, and I think she deserves a chance here. We have never turned away a slayer who has asked for our help and that's what she is doing."

"So you want us to train her?" The blonde had spat, as Faith nodded her head "Is she gonna go to school here as well, heyyyy, I know, **maybe** we should even give her a watcher." Sarcasm was dripping from the chosen one's pores.

"Actually, yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking." The brunette said pointedly.

"Really?" Buffy reered in further , "And who did you plan to have as her watcher? You?"

"No, I had someone else in mind." Faith said getting hesitant "I was thinking that Dawn could do it."

"What!" The Summers sisters both turned in shock.

"Everyone calm down." Giles suddenly said from the window "Faith are you serious about Desiree joining us?"

"Yes."

"Then she may stay here."

"Giles!" Buffy protested.

"Let me finish. She may stay her for tonight and in the morning we shall hold a meeting and decide what to do." The ex-librarian swiftly wiped his glasses as he made his way to the door. "It has been a very emotional day and I think we all need to get some rest before we can decide a proper solution."

The air was palpable once Giles left the room. Unable to take the pained expression on her lovers face, Faith walked over to Buffy.

"I think we should go to our room and talk."

"What's there to talk about?" Buffy said turning her head away from Faith

"Buffy," The brunette sighed pleadingly, " Please?" Faith held out her hand and sure enough, in spite of everything, the blonde placed her own inside of it. Locking their fingers gently the two slowly started to make their way to the door when the ex-rogue stopped and turned back

"Desiree I forgot we need to figure out where to put you tonight." Before she had a chance to continue the younger Summer's answered.

"Don't worry about it Faith, I'll take care of it, I mean her."

As one couple exited the other was left in an awkward silence. However, following the ex-con's actions the red head went over to her girlfriend to get her attention.

"I think we need to talk." Willow said offering her hand out to Kennedy who quickly moved away, not half as receptive as Buffy.

"Yeah," Ken wavered., already starting to walk a step ahead, "I guess we do." Willow felt defeated, but the two quickly headed off in the direction of their own room, leaving Dawn and Desiree alone.

"So," Dawn mummbled, "this is awkward."

The room was filled with unspoken words the red head was dying to say. However, the hostile stance the young brunette held kept the witch quiet.

"I thought you wanted to talk?" Ken asked, rolling her eyes in destain.

"I don't know what to say."

"How about you tell me why you've been lying to me?" She growled in response, leaving Willow silent for a moment.

"Ken, sweety, I didn't lie to you." Willow whispered.

"Well you definitely haven't been Ms. Honesty with me either. Ever since you got back from that fucking mission you have been so distant and I kept asking you what was wrong, but you swore you were fine. Fucking hell Will ! I thought I did something wrong. I thought I fucked up and you were upset with me." The anger in Kennedy's voice was slowly being replaced with pain and unshed tears started to fill her eyes.

"Kenny," Willow said slowly trying to touch Kennedy's face with her hand, but the brunette quickly turned and walked to the other side of the room.

"I would have stood by you Will. I love you and I trust you, but I guess you're just not there with me yet." Kennedy said, her back still toward the red head. "I need some air." And she left hastily before watching the witch break down.

A few rooms down from the witch and her slayer, is the room of the two eldest slayers. On many occasion these two halves has fought over many things, but never have the stakes been so high. Unable to stand the silence the blonde inevitably begins the much needed conversation, but she's stopped, mid-sentence, by her lover's voice.

"Buffy before we start," Faith began "I just wanted to say I love you."

"No. Don't. That's not fair Faith" But Buffy's conviction was soon slashed with the squeeze of her hand by her counterpart, she sighed and stumbled "and I...I love you too, but Dawns my sister. You can't ask me to put her with that psycho. Hell you can't ask me to let the woman who tried to kill me be around any of these girls."

"Buffy," the brunette said, now taking her other hand and pulling her down to sit beside her, "she is not a woman, she is a messed up **_girl_** that needs our help. You heard what she's been through. She needs this place, and I think she needs Dawn. You were the one that said the new slayers were really connecting with Dawn and she was probably gonna end up as one of their watchers. Desiree needs someone like that, someone her own age that can help her lead... help her follow."

"No, I just," Buffy quickly started to tear up "she tried to kill me."

"B, baby," Faith said with a smirk, whipping the tears away before they had a chance to fall, "so have I, just about everyone of your exes, _and_ some of your friends... you let Dawn around all of us."

"I just…"

"B, let's just sleep on it... okay?" Faith whispered, daring enough to place a soft kiss on the blonde's forehead.

"Okay."

"So this is my room and I guess this is where you'll be staying." Dawn said "You know for tonight, I don't know about the rest of the week."

"You think they are actually gonna let me stay here?" Desiree asked Dawn timidly "But I admitted to trying to kill Buffy?"

"Yeah and you said you were sorry," Dawn said glancing at the scared girl next to her, "saying sorry scores big points with this group. Just look at Faith."

Still standing at the door in Dawn's room the rebellious looking girl stared at the young Summers like she was a puzzle. She expected this girl to hate her for what she tried to do, but instead she was greeted with an almost understanding.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Dawn looked toward the sad girl with a smile on her face.

"Buffy once told me everyone deserves a second chance, and there are even a special few that deserve 5 or 6 chances," Dawn paused smirking a lil, " though I think that was just her way of making me like Faith when they started dating" She shook her head and shrugged at the irony of it all, and continued, "but it sounds like a good thought." Slowly letting the words sink in Desiree started to move away from the door and toward Dawn until she was inches away, leaning toward her, and whispering.

"Thanks…"


	8. Betrayal

_Hey all sorry its been forever but I had major computer issues…hopefully you all enjoy this update…_

_**Betrayal**_

The night brought stillness to the house. Some slept in the arms of their lover while others were lost in their own thoughts. The blonde slayer herself was one of the few lucky people to be in a warm embrace, but sleep never found her. Like most nights she found herself staring into a void of nothingness, worrying about every little problem that is and could be. With her arms rapped around her slayer she wonders if she can trust their newest house guest as strongly as Faith does. However, just as the weight of the world was slowly slipping off her shoulders and sleep was consuming her, she was awaken by a horrible scream.

"Dawn!" Within seconds Buffy was running out of her room and down the hall and right behind her was a startled brunette slayer. Right before Buffy grab the handle to her sisters door her arm was grabbed by the brunette.

"B, what are you doing! Why the hell did you just yell out Dawn's name and sprint out of our room?" Faith said looking confused

"Didn't you hear the scream? Dawn's in trouble! Let go of me!"

"I didn't hear anything are you sure you didn't imagine it?" As an uncertain look began to form on the blonde's face, another figure came running toward them.

"Guys have you seen Kennedy? I heard someone scream and she hasn't gotten back from her walk." Willow said in a nervous voice. As soon as Willow said she heard the scream too, Buffy pulled her arm out of Faith's grasp and turned the handle on Dawn's door. The door was locked, but the slayer was determined and kicked in the door without a second thought.

When the three ran into the room they were greeted with darkness and fear. To scared to turn on the lights the blonde slayer made her way to her sister's bed and whispered her name. Hearing nothing but silence, Buffy reached out to her sister's form just as Faith flicked the lights on. As soon as the lights were on Buffy pulled back the blanket and collapsed to her knees as screams were heard in the background. Lain before the three warriors was the body of Dawn Summers, she was stripped naked with cuts all over her body. One cut went from her throat to her chest were her heart was cut out and placed in the palm of her hand.

As Buffy started to stand up and look around she saw blood all over the walls. The blood on the walls was like arrows that lead to the window of Dawn's room. On the window the blonde saw that her sister's blood was used to write a message. As she walked through the blood and carnage she looked at the window and read the message that simply said: "We're Even." As Buffy stares at the window the other two occupants of the room slowly make their way to the body.

"Dawnie…" Willow says in a whisper as tears begin to fill her eyes, "What did she do to you?"

While the red head begins to mourn the loss of the girl she considered family the brunette however found herself riddled with guilt. She brought the psycho into this house; this blood is on her hands. Yet looking at the body she realizes something else.

"She couldn't have screamed," the brunette said as the others looked towards her "her body is to cold." She continued while trying to hold back a sob.

Looking back toward the window Buffy looks beyond the message to the outside where she sees a body laying on the ground.

"Kennedy… Kennedy's outside." As the words left Buffy's mouth Willow came to her side and as soon as the red head saw the body lying out of the grass she ran out of the room and to the back yard. Once the witch left the room the ex-rogue looked at the angry slayer.

"B…" the brunette started to say, but was quickly shut down by the hard look in the blonde's eyes. Quietly the two followed the red heads lead and went to check on their fallen sister slayer.

"Red is she.." the coughing from the lying form stopped Faith from finishing her sentence. Slowly and with the help of her witch Kennedy turned over onto her back, showing the blood on her stomach.

"Desiree?" the brunette asked as the blonde came from the house with an emotionless look to her face.

"Who else do you think it was F? She just jumped that window and came up from behind and before I know it she stabs me right in to back through my stomach and whispers in my ear that I'll have a matching wound just like my idols." Kennedy says weakly, as her hand goes to her slowly closing wound.

"I called the healers and they are coming to get Kennedy." Buffy said in a dead tone.

"What about Dawn?" Willow said slowly as she rubbed Kennedy's head

"What about Dawn?" Kennedy asked confused

"She killed her." The blonde said as she walked back into the house

After Buffy went back into the house the three warriors looked on in worry. None of them had seen their leader mourn yet and that could only mean bad things.

"I'm worried about Buffy, I've never seen her like this." Faith said "Red I'm sure you are gonna want to be with your girl so I'll go talk to her. I'll meet you in the infirmary later." With that the brunette took off to find her lover while the witch explained to her slayer what they found in Dawn's room.

After looking all over the house Faith found Buffy in the position she feared she'd be. Buffy was laying beside Dawn holding the bloody body to her own.

"Buffy?"

"Leave us alone. You've done enough"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You killed her. You killed my **sister**!" Buffy said while getting up and storming out of the room "You brought that thing to this house and look at the chaos!" As Buffy stormed into their room the brunette was quick to follow her.

"I never wanted any of this to happen. I thought I was helping someone."

"No you were just mad at me and wanted to prove me wrong and now look. Dawn is dead, DEAD! I can never forgive you for this. I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!"

"B, you need to calm down. Please listen to me you know I love you."

"No more calming down, no more listening, I know what I have to do now. I have to go finish what I started." She said as she looked through her weapons chest, "we are far from even."

"Buffy I know what you're thinking and I can't let you go. It's too dangerous, we need a plan." Sighing the blonde slayer hunched over and looked as if she was trying to calm herself. Then slowly she turned around and walked over to Faith with a sad look on her face.

"I know, you're right. I'm so angry and I need a plan" As her left hand grazed Faith's cheek causing the ex-rogue to close her eyes, Buffy brought up her right hand which held the knife she picked out and hit her lover in the head with the handle part knocking the brunette out.

"Sorry lover, but I **do** got a plan, I'm gonna kill that bitch."


	9. Dead End

Hey everyone thanks to those who have reviewed and stuck by me even though its taken FOREVER for me to finish…well here is the ending and I hope you liked it…as of right now there are no plans for a sequel but who knows what the future brings….

Dead End

Black. If someone was to look out their window that's all they would see. The night was so dark it's like the world died for a moment. And it did for one person, Buffy Summers. Her world was taken from her and no amount of good was gonna bring it back. So she decided to throw herself into the darkness that fell upon Rome. This furious blonde slayer stalked the streets sniffing out her prey and moving through the dark city as if it were lit up with arrows pointing in the direction she should go.

The darkness could feel her and all the creatures of the night made sure to stay out of the way of this broken woman, this slayer who finds herself indifferent to right and wrong. When her movements stop she finds herself in front of a broken down building that reeks of her enemy. She pulls out her knife and heads for the front door prepared to serve out the justice no one else would be willing to give.

"Fuck my head hurts," Faith said as she slowly got off the floor.

"B? Why the fuck did you hit me? B!" With nothing, but silence answering her back, Faith quickly searched her room then Dawn's looking for her other half. As terror began to course there her body the ex-rogue ran to the infirmary in hopes that the blonde slayer would be checking up on their injured friend. The sudden appearance of a panicked slayer brought worries to the witch and her injured girlfriend.

"Faith what's wrong? Are you okay? Where's Buffy?" Willow asked.

"I don't know. One minute I was talking to B and the next I wake up on the floor with a major headache." Said the pacing slayer.

"Faith calm down. Do you think Buffy could have been the one to have hit you? I mean no intruder sensors have gone off and well she seems messed about over Dawn." Kennedy said while trying to calm herself down

"Shit, Dawn, I know where Buffy went. She went to go kill Desiree. I have to stop her. B will never be able to forgive herself." Faith said in a hurried voice.

"We'll go with you." Kennedy said as she tried to get up.

"N o, you can barely move and red needs to watch over the place while I'm gone."

"Faith…" Willow tried to protest.

"No, if B gets back before I find her, someone needs to make sure she is stable, well as stable as she can be."

Her foot steps were loud. Buffy was no longer stalking her prey instead she was letting it know death was at its door. Slowly she turned the knob and opened the door to something she didn't expect. There in front of her was Desiree sitting in a chair facing the door with a smile on her face.

"I knew you'd come" Desiree mocked "I just knew no matter how even I made things between us you would still come."

"Even!" the blonde screamed "You murdered my sister!"

"And you tried to kill me."

"If this is what its all about then why Dawn? Why not just come after me?"

"Its simple you see" Desiree laughed "If I kill you, you go back to heaven, but if I take your sister then I'm giving you a little hell on Earth."

"Too bad you won't be here to enjoy it."

"Oh I've been enjoying myself, from the moment I fooled you and the witch, to making your lover cry with me, to slicing and dicing Dawny and then stabbing the lovely Kennedy. You know it should look exactly like your scar I aimed for the same spot."

"How'd you.."

"Know? Come on the battle with the First is a popular topic amongst us."

"Us?"

"Ex-slayers, the chosen ones who follow our goddess to bring pain unto the world."

"Why are you telling me this, aren't you betraying your goddess?"

"No, I'm trying to tell you about our revolution."

"Revolution?"

"Come on Buffy think. You want to kill me because something dark in you wants my blood. It's the darkness that gives us the power. Slayers are only good because hundreds of years ago some men told us to be that way and fight for them, but we are more powerful than they ever were. Sound familiar? One of our girls told us about your speeches and our Goddess finds that one quote very interesting." Desiree said while smiling to herself.

You're gonna die now." Buffy says taking the smile off Desiree's face, "and not because of the darkness in me but because of the darkness in you. You were weak and gave in to it and for taking my sisters life I'm taking yours."

"You'll never stop us."

"I'll take you out one at a time if I have too."

Before another word could be spoken Buffy launched herself at Desiree and the two instantly began fighting. With every punch Desiree threw Buffy would block it and hit her in either the head or chest. The bloodier Desiree's face got the slower her body seemed to go until she just stopped completely at the familiar feeling of having a knife in her stomach. With its removal and the loss of Buffy holding up her body, Desiree drops to her knees, but before she can completely hit the ground a pair of hands wraps around her neck.

Tighter and tighter Buffy squeezed. The blonde no longer cared about morals or doing what's right. All she wanted was revenge. To just do something to make the pain go away.

"B stop!"

The sudden out-burst of noise made the blonde slayer look up to find Faith standing in the door way and staring at her with caring and understanding eyes.

"Please, B, let her go."

"Okay" Buffy shrugged and loosened her grip, but right before she let go completely she snapped Desiree's neck and watched the lifeless body fall to the ground. Quickly Faith ran to her.

"B what did you do?"

"She deserved it." With nothing more to say she slowly walked away. With one last look at the body she decided to deal with the consequences in the morning. Faith followed after Buffy hoping they would be able to face everything Buffy was about to go through.

As foot steps were heard leaving the building many more could be heard coming in the back. Slowly one figure approached the broken body on the ground.

"Poor Desiree. So lost... even I can't help you now."

Drusilla looked upon the body with nothing, but disappointment.

"You never stood a chance, but the stars seem so much brighter for us."

"Yes Goddess." Spoke an army of slayers behind her.

With smiles upon their faces they exit, walking in the dead of night...ready to make this world bleed.

The End.


End file.
